Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton of taking drugs before the second presidential debate at a rally in New Hampshire on Friday.

Mr Trump was defiance personified during appearances in New Hampshire and Maine while his campaign worked furiously behind the scene to rebut the claims of at least nine women that he had touched them inappropriately.

He disparaged his accusers, and repeated his claims that there is a vast conspiracy against him to "rig" the election in favour of Hillary Clinton.

He also suggested that Mrs Clinton took a drugs to increase her energy ahead of last week's debate.

"I don't know what's going on with her because at the beginning of the last debate she was all pumped up and at the end it was like, uh... She could barely reach her car," he said, calling for a drug test before the final debate on Wednesday.

He described the stakes of the November 8 election in Manichean terms, warning that America would never recover from a Clinton victory.

"You have 24 days to make every dream you ever dreamed for your children, for your family for your country come true. You have 24 days, and if we don't win as I said before I don't think it's ever going to happen again, our country is going to be in a spiral that won't be stopped," he said.

Mr Trump again raised the accusations of sexual misconduct that have accumulated over the past week.

He once again questioned the account of Jessica Leeds, who claims he groped her “like an octopus” on board an airplane sometime around 1980.

"How about this crazy woman on the airplane. I mean, can anybody believe that one? After fifteen minutes she decided, 'well that was too much.' Fifteen minutes? With the ladies in this place it would be one second and it would be smack," he said to laughter and cheers.

Earlier on Friday Mr Trump's campaign sought to rebut the claims of Summer Zervos, a former contestant on the Apprentice, who claimed Mr Trump kissed her, grabbed her breast and thrust his genitals at her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2007.

John Barry, Ms Zervos’s cousin, claimed she had said nothing but “glowing things” about Mr Trump over the past decade until he rejected an invitation to appear at her restaurant earlier this year.

Gloria Allred, a lawyer speaking on behalf of Ms Zervos, said Mr Barry was a “huge Trump supporter” who became hostile toward Ms Zervos after his “employment ended” at her restaurant.

'Either we win the election or lose the country'

One of the most remarkable things about Donald Trump's speeches in New Hampshire and Maine was his ramping up of the anxiety over what happens if he loses.

"Either we win the election or we lost the country and this is the last time," he said in Maine. "This is is. We're either gonna win or we're gonna have a whole different country and it's never going to come back."

In Mr Trump's telling, then, the election has been rigged against him, and if he does not overcome that unfair disadvantage America will cease to be exist in its current form.

Trump on US/Mexico relationship- 'we get drugs, they get jobs'

Here's Mr Trump's analysis of the bilateral relationship between the US and Mexico.

We want a two-way highway not a one way. Right now we have a one way highway right into Mexico. We get unemployment and we get drugs and they get cash, they get jobs and they get factories. Not going to be that way anymore folks.

Trump takes the stage in Maine as another accusation raised

Donald Trump is now at the podium in Bangor Maine talking about bringing back American jobs. Meanwhile, the Guardian is reporting that another woman has come forward claiming Mr Trump forcibly kissed her at his Mar a Lago resort.

Trump off the beaten track in Bangor, Maine

David Millward, our New England-based correspondent, has some insight into Mr Trump's engagements today.

Covering Donald Trump today will have been something of a challenge given that he had a lunchtime engagement in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and one mid afternoon in Bangor, Maine. Even on a good day that is not much short of three hours drive. The Donald, one would guess, was able to fly.

While Maine is not a well-trodden stop on the campaign trail, there might be a few more sightings of Mr Trump in Maine before the election given that the state’s two electoral college votes can be split and the billionaire reckons he could pick one of them up. Maine’s colourful governor, Paul LePage is one of the few Republicans left who are still backing him.

"We're going to beat the rigged system"

Here are some of Mr Trump's closing remarks before leaving the stage in New Hampshire.

"In ten years, in 20 years, in 30 years you're going to look back at this rally for the rest of your life. You're going to remember this day. This is a movement like people have never seen in this country before. We're going to make history together. Remember, it's a rigged system, it's a rigged election. We're going to beat the rigged system, we're going to beat the rigged election. You're going to look back at this election and say, 'this is by far the most important vote I've ever cast for anyone at any time in my life.'"

"Every dream you've ever dreamed"

Mr Trump has put the stakes of his election in stark terms:

"You have 24 days to make every dream you ever dreamed for your children, for your family for your country come true. You have 24 days, and if we don't win as I said before I don't think it's ever going to happen again, our country is going to be in a spiral that won't be stopped."

Clinton campaign responds to Trump's "rigged" claims

Robby Mook, Mrs Clinton's campaign manager, has released a statement:

Campaigns should be hard-fought and elections hard-won, but what is fundamental about the American electoral system is that it is free, fair and open to the people. Participation in the system- and particularly voting- should be encouraged, not dismissed or undermined because a candidate is afraid he's going to lose. This election will have record turnout, because voters will see through Donald Trump's shameful attempts to undermine an election weeks before it happens."

Trump pledges help for veterans and drug addicts

Mr Trump spoke at length about the opioid epidemic, a major issue for voters in New Hampshire. He says he will tackle the problem, while Mrs Clinton and other politicians are too close to the drug companies to do anything about it.

He has also vowed to help America's veterans get access to healthcare and the respect they deserve.

Full Trump quote on Clinton, drugs

I think we should take a drug test prior to the debate. I think we should. Why don't we do that? We should take a drug test. Because I don't know what's going on with her because at the beginning of the last debate she was all pumped up and at the end it was like, uh... She could barely reach her car."

Trump suggest drug tests before next presidential debate

Highlights of Donald Trump's speech thus far

On accusations: "How about this crazy woman on the airplane. I mean, can anybody believe that one? After fifteen minutes she decided, 'well that was too much.' Fifteen minutes? With the ladies in this place it would be one second and it would be smack"

On the conspiracy: "The election is being rigged by corrupt media pushing completely false accusations and outright lies in an effort to elect her president"

On Clinton's Wall St speeches: "When she thought no one was listening, Hillary Clinton was plotting to destroy the sovereignty of the United States. Either we win this election or we lose the country"